60 second guide to: Scunthorpe (H)
Due to the ongoing work preparing for the Vale Vaults exhibition, this is a shorter than usual guide to our next opponents…
Port Vale
Manager: Rob Page (interim)
Last match: 0-2 vs Preston
Form guide: L-W-L-L-D
Scunthorpe
Manager: Mark Robins
Last match: 1-1 vs Colchester
Form guide: D-W-L-L-L
Team news
Ryan McGivern: set to return to the defence?
Visitors Scunthorpe will be missing in-form striker Rory Fallon, but Isaiah Osbourne, offered a deal by Vale, should start alongside another Vale old boy Jennison Myrie-Williams.
Vale will be missing the suspended Stephane Zubar which means that Remie Streete or (more likely) Ryan McGivern will replace him at the back. Ben Williamson may also find his place under pressure from new loan signing Harry Panayiotou and returning Jordan Slew. The recent loan arrivals mean Rob Page has plenty of options and makes our guesswork XI all the more difficult. But here goes…
OVF Guesswork starting XI
Neal
Yates – Duffy – McGivern – Dickinson (c)
Dodds – Lines – O’Connor – Marshall
Pope – Slew
Pre-match quote
“I like to hope I will get a good reaction from the Port Vale fans as I had a good couple of years there – we won promotion and had a good season in League One. I can’t give Port Vale enough praise for what they have done with me. It was a great two-and-a-half years and I enjoyed myself. But now I am a Scunthorpe player and will be looking for a win…”
– Jennison Myrie-Williams
Last time we met
Scunthorpe won the last fixture, a Carling Cup game, 2-0 back in 2009. The last game at Vale Park finished 0-0 also in 2009.
Overall record
- Vale wins: 12
- Scunthorpe wins: 11
- Draws: 10
Trivia
Chris Neal: 100-up for Vale
If he starts, this will be goalkeeper Chris Neal’s 100th start for the club. It’s two days before his 29th birthday too!
Vale have to go all the way back to 1985, a run of six games, for their last win over Scunthorpe.
They played for both…
Myrie-Williams: set to face Vale
A lot of attention will be Jennison Myrie-Williams, who is set to return to Vale for the first time since leaving in the summer. While Jenno did a good job, Vale fans will be more than happy with replacement Mark Marshall who has been in storming form. Isaiah Osbourne is also set to play after turning down a contract offer from Vale. A third player, Sean McAllister, had a brief spell with Vale in 2012.
Michael O’Connor: Scunthorpe old boy
On the Vale side, midfielder Michael O’Connor spent three years with the Irons from 2009 to 2012.
Other players to appear for both clubs include:
- Defender Michael Walsh
- Goalkeeper Paul Musselwhite
- Striker Keith Houchen
- Striker Akpo Sodje
- Winger Ian Miller
- Defender Krystian Pearce